Cummins' Leeds record to end

Leeds' longest-serving player, Francis Cummins, has been left out for the first time in five years for the opening game of their Super League season.

Cummins' Super League record run of 179 appearances will end with the game against the London Broncos on Sunday, with the new signing, Marcus Bai, preferred on the left wing.

"It was a tough call, but we've gone on the pre-season form," said the Rhinos' new coach, Tony Smith. "I'm sure Franny will bounce back. He's a quality person and a quality player."

Cummins has been a Leeds regular, at full-back and on the wing, for eight seasons. Following his replacement by the Papua New Guinean international, however, there is not even a place for him on the bench at the weekend.

Smith has followed the conventional pattern by naming three forward substitutes, plus Andrew Dunemann, understudying the young partnership of Danny McGuire and Rob Burrow, who get first crack at the half-back positions.

News of the 27-year-old Cummins' demotion comes on the day Leeds announced that his testimonial season last year had raised a club record £151,000.

"When I saw the figure I was completely gobsmacked," said Cummins.

Warrington have sold all but 1,000 of the 14,206 available tickets for their game against Wakefield on Saturday - their first at their new Halliwell Jones Stadium.

The Leigh full-back, Neil Turley, has been named as the Arriva Trains Cup Player of the Round for last weekend, after his haul of 23 points in the 51-32 victory over Oldham.

The newly formed West Indies rugby league team is to play in a qualifying tournament to try to gain a place in the Middlesex 9s.